How To Build A 7-Figure Business In 2 Years: My Journey & Biggest Lessons

From launching my YouTube Channel, to scaling my copywriting business, to creating multiple products and a growing 7-figure brand from scratch, these are the 7 biggest lessons I learned along the way.

You guys!!! Today is a BIG day for me and for The Copy Posse… Because today marks the publication of my 100th episode!!!

And hitting this milestone is not only an accomplishment I’m a MAJOR proud of but it also brought up all feels as I look back on the last 2 years. So I thought, what better way to celebrate than by summarizing my journey for you… including all the lessons I learned along the way.  

Side bar: I technically posted my first video on my Channel 4 years ago but it literally just sat there alone for 2 years collecting dust, and a surprising number of views I might add, so I left it up—because it really shows you how basic a video can be if the content is good. And also the power of good lighting.

Anyway, I officially started my channel—as in “Okay I’m actually going to do this every week” with THIS video back in February 2019… and BOY have I learned a lot since then.

In today’s blog, I’ll be sharing the lessons, tips, and mindset tricks that I’ve learned to help me build my channel to where it is today (and to earn 7-figures along the way).

So hopefully I can give you a leg up on YOUR journey, whether that’s starting your own YouTube channel, igniting your copywriting business, growing an Instagram account… or ANYTHING really. 

The lessons I’ve learned on my journey to 7 figures can be used to help you on your journey too… (Hey Alex, why don’t you say journey one more time…)

And I’m going to be covering each of those lessons at the end of this article. So let’s get started…

Hey guys, it’s Alex!

Thank you SO much for being here. If you’ve been a part of the Copy Posse fam since the O.G. days—leave a comment below to let me know you’re here!

And if you’re new to the crew—WELCOME! I’m so glad that you’re here to celebrate this massive milestone with me! 

I put out a new marketing, copywriting, or freelancing tutorial every single week—so if you want to learn more about how to start, run, and scale a successful biz—then be sure to follow my blog to stay up to date. 

Now, I actually started my freelance copywriting business waaaay back in 2011. So why did I wait so damn long to start my channel, you ask? Good question.

To be honest, I was just sorta loving the copywriter life. I had a few high-paying clients, was making 6-figures, traveling the world, and was just having fun working behind the scenes with many leading personal development brands…

But then something shifted…

I started to notice a dangerous divide in the industry…

There were businesses out there—like many of my clients—with empowering messages that were selling products that genuinely helped people…

And then there were the people selling stuff on the Internet that gave everyone else a bad rap – the marketers and copywriters who use manipulative, scammy, and severely outdated sales tactics that I just don’t vibe with.

No wonder there are so many misconceptions about copywriting being sleazy selling or something reserved only for Madison Avenue execs writing Super Bowl commercials.

In reality, every business on the planet needs copywriting…

Copywriting that combines proven conversion tactics with the empathic art of connection and positive brand experiences.

I started to notice the internet getting more and more crowded with bad copywriting, so I decided to do something about it…

Plus there weren’t many woman voices in the space and I knew it was time to shake things up.

So….. I trusted my gut and embarked on my lofty mission to rally the raddest, baddest crew of copywriters to de-douchify the internet.

I started my YouTube channel and a few months later, the Copy Posse was born…

So come along with me as we go back in time to…

February 13, 2019: 

The day I published my first video. After 8 years of working behind-the-scenes, I decided to start a YouTube channel. 

This is when I officially started producing one original, high-quality copywriting tutorial every single week—with a grand total of 0 subscribers! Maybe I had a few from that very first video, but it wasn’t a lot.

I had the first 4 videos that I wanted to film already planned out. That was it. I was eager, I was excited, and I was nervous as hell!

And so it began…

Fast forward to…

August 7, 2019: 

My birthday. The day I hit 1000 subscribers. So yeah, do the math. March, April….. Yeah. It took me 6 whole months of producing video content every single week to reach 1,000 subscribers…

It’s always funny to me when people say things like, “Oh my gosh you grew SO fast on YouTube!!”  

And I’m always like… Yeah, but did I though?! Six months is a LONG time to reach 1,000 subscribers – especially when you’re putting in the time, money, and energy to produce high-quality videos every single week.

There are tons of channels that did it much faster than I did.

And to be honest, there were times that I wanted to give up and asked myself if it was worth it. 

Sure I would get a few likes and a few comments on my videos. But it felt like I was putting in all this work to speak to an empty room… the echo was deafening at times and I began to truly wonder if I was actually helping anyone at all. 

Experts told me that I should talk about more popular stuff like digital marketing and social media instead…

And that I would never hit “big numbers” on such a niche topic.

I wondered if I was doing it all wrong…

The temptation to quit was at an all-time high around month 3… But what kept me going was the belief in my message and mission and the innate knowledge that good things take time.

And actually, I looked back to see when I started The Copy Posse Instagram account and it was on May 7, 2019 – right around that 3-month mark. And this was my very first post: 

You can tell that I was almost convincing myself to keep my head in the game. Keep delivering value and keep showing up… because one day it would all be worth it. And it was. 

December 21, 2019:

This is when my YouTube account was finally monetized! After 10 months of consistent work—THAT’S when I finally made my first dollar (out of what would become $1,000,000 over the next year)! 

This was such a significant moment for me because it was the moment I realized I had created a thing.

I had kept producing high-quality videos and content, every single week for nearly an entire year—without seeing a single cent of profit…

And now I was finally making some money but, more importantly, I was having FUN.

I had finally stopped comparing myself to everyone else that I saw online and did things my way. 

I broke all the “traditional marketing rules” and—what do you know—my audience continued to grow, piquing the attention of aspiring copywriters, hungry creatives, and business owners internationally. 

The more I listened to my followers’ comments, questions, and DMs… the more I realized that I needed to do more for them—many encouraged me to create a program that would dive deep into the specific skills, techniques, and assets that a new copywriter needs to ignite their business.

So I did…

January 29, 2020: 

My first launch! 

This was the day Season 1 of my Copy Posse Launch Pad kicked off. And let me tell you… I was SO nervous.

I had spent so much time and money getting everything ready for this program. I literally hired a team to help me organize and run it smoothly, and I spent months pouring my heart and soul into the course content… And I was just so terrified that it was going flop. 

I actually remember going to bed the night before launch thinking, “Okay if 5 people join—then I’ll be happy. That’s all I need.” And 43 people joined that first Season. Hey guys—you know who you are.

Despite running the course through the middle of a global freakin’ pandemic, the results were so overwhelmingly positive from my students—many of whom are now full-time copywriters. 

August 18, 2020: 

A year after hitting 1,000, I hit 50k on YouTube!!

Was it luck?!… ABSOLUTELY NOT. I don’t believe in luck. I believe you can have lucky coincidences in life but this took passion, dedication, and consistency. 

Listen—A LOT of people want to see immediate results. They want the hack, tactic, or secret that will help you succeed… but the truth is… there is no magic button. It takes time. Which is why so many people quit and fail.

Could you imagine if I quit in month 3, or 4, or 5—when things were hard.

But the beautiful thing is that once you put in all that time, energy, and passion…

All of a sudden you start growing a business that you absolutely love. 

So if you’re trying to find a hack to make a million dollars online—first of all, I just want to say that’s not possible—unless you’ve already put in years and years of wisdom, and training, and trial and error. 

So while to you, it might seem like other people are growing super fast (almost overnight)… that’s just because you’re looking in from the outside, and you may not realize that they’ve actually been out there hustling for YEARS when they hit that “overnight success”. 

When it comes to building your dreams, you just have to keep going—even when times get tough. If there’s one big message you take from this video it’s this: never ever, ever, ever give up on something you’re passionate about. 

November 16, 2020:

I hosted my first-ever copywriting challenge, The Write & Ignite Challenge! Where my igniters at?!

I did this challenge because, over the last couple of years, I’ve come across so many business owners that are scrambling to scale online…

And struggling to create, update and innovate their sales pages in response to the recent shifts in the online marketing climate.

And a lot of copywriters looking for the practical training and knowledge they need to write a sales page that actually works today – based on proven principles and frameworks…

This got me thinking…

What could I give you that goes way deeper than my free YouTube tutorials… yet charge way, way less than my exclusive coaching programs?

How could I make this skill as accessible and affordable as possible for those who need it… So YOU can write a high-converting sales page from scratch and ignite your business ASAP.

Enter the Write & Ignite Challenge.

It was a lot of work but SO worth it. Because now I’m able to help so many more people with this affordable video program!

January 10, 2021:

The day the doors opened to the second season of my live copywriting course—The Copy Posse Launch Pad.

Now with this launch, I was significantly less stressed, less worried, and less anxious than the first time. Because I had learned SO much over the last year…

And now I had a whole team of badasses supporting me, behind the scenes. I also had a gang of rad Copy Posse alumni and other Copy Posse community members rallying behind me, building up my confidence and faith in this course. 

Since then, the Copy Posse community has grown to over 100,000+ students, subscribers and followers worldwide. All who share a passion for creating community, credibility, and conversions with nothing but powerful and precise wording.

We are dedicated to getting more messages that matter to the masses and supporting brands and businesses that genuinely help people.

And that brings us to today…

TODAY:

Just two years since deciding to step out from behind the scenes, I’ve published my 100th video, and my channel has just over 89,000 subscribers!

It goes to show just how much can be accomplished when you’re passionate about something. When you don’t give up. And when you work HARD for your dreams.

I did it. And I know that you can too. Now as promised, here are the 7 lessons I learned along the way:

Lesson 1: Start A Business You LOVE 

Yes, I know it sounds cliché—but it’s so true. 

Think about it… if I didn’t genuinely love everything that I talk about on this channel—do you really think I would have kept filming high-quality videos every single week with barely any subscribers and ZERO profit???? 

Nooooope, I definitely would have quit during those first 6 months when it got really hard. 

Remember, if you’re just doing it for the money—you’re not doing it for the right reasons. Now don’t confuse that for me saying that you can’t make money and start a business you love—because hell yeah you can. 

I’m just saying that those two things go hand-in-hand. Without a passion and love for what you do—it’s unlikely you’ll have the drive to keep going when things get tough.

And you can’t make millions of dollars if you quit. So pick something you love THEN make millions of dollars… after a lot of time, dedication, and consistency that is. 

Lesson 2: Show Up Consistently

You need to commit to consistency. Because plain and simple—people trust people who are consistent. 

Whether it’s showing up for your clients, posting online, sending out weekly emails, or whatever it is for YOUR biz…  Being consistent helps people find you, relate to you, know what to expect from you, and ultimately TRUST you. 

Lesson 3: Ask For Support & Feedback

Remember when I said that I only planned out my first 4 videos? 

Yeah after that, I asked my followers & my subscribers what they wanted to see! Sure, I didn’t have very many “followers” or “subscribers” at the time. But I asked what they wanted to see—and then I based my content off of that!

And that’s STILL the model I follow today. Every single time you guys share a comment or suggestion, I really take that to heart. In fact, I write down every single one of them and put them into a massive “Suggestions” spreadsheet because I still want to make sure that I’m giving you guys what you actually want – otherwise, what would you keep coming back? 

Lesson 4: Do NOT Compare Yourself To Others

This is a big one. It’s so easy to get lost in comparison.

If you try to do what others are doing, then you’ll just be just like all of the other people out there. Who wants that?! 

So the advice here is truly to just stay in your lane and to stop comparing yourself so much to what other people are doing. 

You don’t want to be a re-make, you want to be an original baby. 

Lesson 5: Engage With Your Community

This one might be a little obvious, but so many people are hesitant to do it. 

You have to be present with your community. That means showing up and chatting with them on lives, engaging in the comment sections, replying to DMs, running polls, etc.  

People are really craving relatability, transparency, and authenticity right now. So you need to start showing your face and being transparent. You have to be willing to put yourself out there if you want your brand or business to grow.  

Lesson 6: Focus On Adding Value FIRST

The Copy Posse’s number one rule: Always deliver mad value FIRST. 

Ask yourself: what can I give that’ll give to my community that will have so much insane value & make them think… holy crap if I’m getting ALL THIS for free… then I’d be crazy to not go further.

If you don’t give away any knowledge, tips, tools, tricks, wisdom, or inspiration for free—then how do they know that what you deliver is valuable or worth the money?

Lesson 7: Ignore The Haters & Never Give Up!

Yup, I have trolls and haters that leave mean comments. 

In the beginning, it would seriously bother me. So much so that it kept me up at night… I would internalize it, fester on it, and I had a really hard time moving past any negative comments. 

But if you’re going to be putting yourself out there into the online world—you just have to come to terms with the fact that you WILL have haters, trolls, and internet snobs that will try to pull you down. 

Not because you don’t rock – but because they are sad, hurt people who want to hurt others. And it’s so easy to be a jerk behind the veil of anonymity.

So do yourself a favor, and start drinking hater-aide for breakfast.

You’ll never be able to please everyone, so worry about YOURSELF. No one knows your heart, your intentions, and your passions better than YOU. 

So keep doin’ your thang regardless of the B.S. others are saying.

And whatever you do—never, EVER quit.  

I hope you found some motivation from the recap of my journey.

Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!

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